Karen Grant, vice president and global beauty industry analyst with The NPD Group, posted a blog entry titled "What Is She Thinking?" discussing the wide range of beauty and makeup habits women have, and what pushes these desires, as well as where they fulfill them.

Grant writes, "Perhaps it’s just me, but why do some women act like touching their face with anything except bath soap is a mortal sin? I get the 'au naturel' thing. But, what if a little hint of color made you look a bit more radiant, or some mascara made your eyes stand out, or some balm made your hair shine and look less frizzy?

"On the flip side, what about the women who are so glammed up that they look like they’re auditioning for a 'wives-focused' reality TV miniseries. They throw all caution (and elements of real) to the wind, seemingly thinking nothing of dialing it up a notch, or two, or twenty. Something seems to have gone haywire.

"There are those who live in the extremes, while the vast majority of us fall somewhere in the middle, as we try to look our best and gently enhance what nature gave us. Whether you’re a minimalist or a fanatic, young or old, daughter or mother—it seems a lot has to do with attitude.

"Women, as a whole, have been feeling more empowered in beauty choices. They increasingly prefer to shop by themselves, and are less influenced by the suggestions of friends, spouses, and/or family. This empowerment of choice has extended to where women are shopping, and the brands they are using. One-fourth of department store beauty shoppers say they have stopped using their department store beauty brands or products, and have replaced them with items purchased from another type of retailer. Given the opportunity to play and experiment without pressure, perhaps that’s why 7 out of 10 prestige beauty shoppers choose specialty stores for beauty shopping.

"What about a woman’s attitude about her appearance? Women who agree with the statement 'I am a no-nonsense gal, and don’t give my appearance too much thought or effort' are almost twice as likely to not be prestige beauty shoppers. At the other end of the spectrum, almost 1 out of every 4 women who shop for beauty in prestige stores agree with the statement 'I like putting the effort into my appearance so that I look great most of the time.' I don’t know if I 'like' the effort, but I’m so glad to know it’s not just me who is willing to try," concludes Grant.